BUTLER FAMILY RECORDS
By
J. MONTGOMERY SEAVER
AMERICAN HISTORICAL-GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
2000 NORTH BROAD STREET
PHILADELPHIA
(The following are selected portions of the BUTLER FAMILY RECORDS.)
TABLE of CONTENTS
"Battle Hymn of the Butlcrs"
3
(A) Introduction 5
(B) The Butler Coat of Arms 7
(C) Ancient Butler Families 8
(D) Prominent British Butlers, Past Generations 21
(E) Prominent British Butlers of Today 23
(F) American Butlers of Royal Descent 26
(G) AMERICAN BUTLER FAMILIES 27
(H) Butlers in the American Revolution 38
(I ) Prominent Butlers of America, Pasr Generations 40
(J) Prominent American Butlers of Today 42
(K) Butler Towns, Etc. . . 44
(L) Butler Census of The United States 45
(M) Religions of Butlers 45
(N) References 46
(O) Blank Forms for Private Family Records 47
BATTLE HYMN OF THE BUTLERS
(Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic")
Theobald FitzWalter went to Ireland with the king;
Chief Butler of all Ireland, unafraid of anything;
He gave to us our family name and that is why we sing
The clan goes marching on!
Chorus: Glory to the Tribe of Butler,
Virile, worthy, brave and loyal!
Glory, Butler, "Comme je trouve!"
The clan goes marching on!
Theobald FitzWalter was thc father of our clan
Posterity of Thomas, James and Edward never ran
Nicholas was virile, Richard was a sturdy man.
The clan goes marching on!
John Butler marched to Palestine arid died for Christian rights;
James was Duke of Ormonde, leader of the Jacobites;
James Butler, for his country, bravely served in many fights.
The clan goes marching on!
The Butler blood is mingled with the royal bloods of old;
Each century our numbers have increased a hundred, fold;
Among the world's great families our family is pure gold.
The clan goes marching on!
We have our dukes and peasants, common folk and blue bloods, too;
We greet each other with a smile and "Cousin, howdy-do !"
This goes with all the Butlers and it goes with me and you.
The clan goes marching on!
The Butler clan is mighty, with three hundred thousand strong;
In seventy-six, eight hundred Butlers fought to right a wrong;
Sixteen towns' bear Butler names. Sure, let us sing that. song-
The clan goes marching on!
When danger threatened country or a battle to be won,
Or righteous causes need defenders or work to be done,
Brave Butlers were right there, and never did a Butler run.
The clan goes marching on!
The Butler sons have courage any task or foe to face;
The Butler girls are lovely with their beauty, charm and grace:
The Butler, leaven is a blessing to the human race.
The clan goes marching on!
( A ) INTRODUCTION
The Butler family is among the forty-nine "best families" selected by the American Historical-Genealogical Society for whom the Society has published family histories during the past few years.
The Butler family has been prominent in the British Empire and in the United States, its members having played important roles in war and in peace. Family pride is a commendable trait and should be cultivated. All Butlers have just cause to be proudi of their family history and traditions.
In reference No. 3, No. 10 and No. 14 we find the following regarding the origin and meaning of the name Butler:
The forms of entry of the name of Butler are endless. The name was both official and occupational. In the first case it was deriveed from the office of Chief Butler of lreland and honor which was conferred upon Theobald surname Le Botiler or Butler--by Henry II in 1177; and which remained hereditary in his descendants for many generations.
As to the second derivation we find in the York Pageant of 1415 the "Botillers", the "Cap-makers" and "Pouchmakers" all walking together in procession. They were all obviously engaged in the leather manufacture. The idea of a bottle, as understood by our forefathers five hundred years ago was that of a leathern case to hold liquids or solids. Thus we see the "Botiller" was often identical with the pouch-maker.
A few of the old forms of the name are "Butelere", "Buteller " "Botyler"
and "Bottler". Mention is made in the Roll of Battell Abbey, 1066, of "Botelere".
The data in this volume is gathered from reliable sources. We have selected what we consider the most important material. Many of the daughters and sons for whom no issue was shown, have been omitted from the pedigrees. A missing symbol indicates that a name has been omitted. Those desiring further information are advised to consult the volumes mentioned in the list of References.
The compiler (J. Montgomery Seaver) hopes that in producing this volume he is bringing to the Butler Family information which will of interest and value to them and that he is rendering an important service to the public. He and his associates will be glad to give their co-operation to members of the family who are interested in having a complete genealogy of the family published.
(B) THE BUTLER COAT OF ARMS
COAT of Arms is an emblems or a device which is displayed by titled
persons, persons of royal blood, and their descendants. Coats of Arms
were originally used for purposes of identification and recognition on
the field of battle as well as in civil life.
It is claimed by some writers that Coats of Arms, in a crude form, were
used by Noah's sons after the flood. There are records of other Coats of
Arms, in one crude form or another, at different periods of ancient history.
Heraldry, however, as we know it today, did not become of much importance
until soon after the invasion of England by William the Conqueror, A. D. 1066.
Heraldry became of general interest at about the time of the Crusades.
The Butler Coat of Arms shown in the front of this volume is thc Arms of
the Butlers, Earls and Dukes of Ormonde (created, 1177) and hereditary Chief
Butlers of Ireland, the i1lustrious and ancient family from whom nearly all
other Butlers are descended. Coats of Arms very similar to it are used by
several branches of the Butler family. And numerous other branches have
Coats of Arms resembling it.
This is the most widely used of all Butler Coats of Arms and has been in
existence for many centuries. It is described in BURKE'S GENERAL
ARMORY, BURKE'S LANDED GENTRY, BURKE'S PEERAGE AND
BARONETAGE and other public works on Hieraldry, in many cases accom-
panied hy illustrations and pedigrees. It has been used for generations by many
American branches of the Butler family.
Heraldic Language
ARMS: Quarterly: 1st, or, a chief indented, azure; 2nd, gules,
quarters: with three covered cups or; 3rd,
argent, a lion rampant gules,
on a chief of the second a
swan, close, of the first,
tween two annulets or; 4th,
ermine, a saltier gules.
____________________________________________________________________
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION OF ARMS
A shield divided into four
quarters: the 1'st, gold, with
a blue chief indented;
the 2nd, red, with three golden
covered cups; the 3rd silver
with a red lion below a
band of red on which is a
silver swan between two
golden annulets; the 4th,
ermine with a cross of red.
_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HERALDIC LANGUAGE for CREST
CREST
Out of a ducal coronet or,
a plume of.five ostrich feath-
ers, there from issuant a falcon, rising all argent.
Supporters Dexter, a falcon, wings ex-
panded argent, beaked and
membered or; sinister, a
male griffin argent, beaked, rayed,
collared and chained gold
or.
____________________________________________________________
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION OF CREST AND SUPPORTERS
Out of a golden ducal coronet
a p1ume of five silver ostrich
feathers from which rises a silver falcon.
Right, a si1ver falcon with
golden beak and claws; left,
a silver griffin, with beak,
rays, collar and chain of
gold.
_______________________________________________________
HERALDIC LANGUAGE of MOTTOES
Mottoes Butler a Boo ( Under the
arms).
Comme je trouve ( Above
crest).
_____________________________________________________________________
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION OF MOTTOES
( A war cry.)
As I find it.
P. 8
The first quarter of this Coat of Arms,-or, a chief indented, azure--shows very plainly not only that the family is an ancient one, but also that at least one of its owners took part in the Crusades. The golden cups in the second quarter are symbolic of thc office of the Chief Butler of Ireland whose duty was to hand to.the king the first cup of wize at banquets of State. Thc saltier or St. Andrew's cross in the fourth quarter stands for courage and is the reward of those who have scaled the walls of towns.
Sir Bernard Burke, of Heralds College, London, said: "Heraldry is prized by all who can show honorable ancestry or wish to found honorable families."
Besides its family significance this Coat of Arms makes an excellent mural decoration and inspires the admiration and comment of all who see it.
It is quite appropriate that members of the Butler family who have a pride in their ancestry shoukl display thc family Coat of Arms, in proper colors.
................................
P.9
The ancestors of the Butlers came from Normany to England with William the Conqueror. 'I'heir original name was Walter, from Walter one of their ancestors; and Theobald Walter came to Ireland with Henry the Second in 1172 and had the office of Chief Butler of Ireland conferred on him, the duty attached to which was to attend at the coronation of the Kings of England and present them with the first cup of wine. From the office of "Butlership of Ireland" they took the name of Butler.
In the reign of Edward the Third, Tipperary was formed in to the "County Palatine of Ormond," under the Butlers, who thus became so powerful that different branches of them furnished many of the most distinguished families in Ireland .
The Palatine possessed such real privileges that he ruled his palatinate almost as a King. The Butlers were Earls, Marquises and Dukes of Ormond, and also had the following titles in Tipperary: Earls of Carrick, Earls of Glengall, Viscounts of Thurles, of Skerrin and Barons of Cahir.
In the reign of Henry VIII they gained possession of a great part of Carlow.
The County of Kilkenney became possessed mostly by the Butlers, Earls and Dukes of Ormond.
They were called Earls of Orrory and Gowyan, Viscounts of Galway and various other titles derived from their extensive estates.
Their war cry was "Butler Aboo!" The word "aboo" is the old Celtic for ' 'victory."
According to the "Norman People" a London publication of 1874, the Ormonde family, through the Irish Chief Butler, is traceable to a Walter, who came with the Conqueror and in 1806 was owner of estates in Laland, Lancashire. This Walter came from Glanville from near Caen. His arms were a chief indented.
The two leading Anglo-Irish families in lreland have long been the Fitzgeralds and the Butlers. From being comrades in arms of the invading "Strong-bow," they became by degrees rival Barons, and fierce contestants for the Vice Sovereignty of their adopted country.
In the Wars of the Roses, the Butlers sides with the White Rose of l.ancaster, and the Fitzgeralds with the Red Rose of York, factions gathered round the two great houses, and the bitter feud brought forth death and bloodshed from as early as 1250 down to the Williamite wars. The Butlers, whose chief had obtained the dignity of Earl of Ormond, succeeded in crushing the power of the elder branch of the F'itzgeralds.
BUTLER of ORMONDE
The history of the illustrious house of Butler of Ormonde is, in point of fact, the history of Ireland from the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion. At the head of the great nobility of that country have ever stood the Butlers and the Geraldines, rivals in power and equals in renown. For ages their story fills the pages of the Irish annals, from the advent of Theobald Fitz-Walter in the reign of Henry II, down to the death of James, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, at Avignon, in 1745.
